Seed-dusting apparatus



Dec. 11, 192s.

B. F. GUsTAFsoN SEED DUSTING APPARATUS ELF.' E'lusfa Ein-1.

Patented Een. il, 1328..

vmainz Y BnNJAMm n. eus'ranson, or nnnrrnnn, -sonrri DAKOTA. i

SEED-Duerme APPARATUS.

Application filed. September 16y 1926. i Serial No. 135,862.v

This invention relates to means'for treating seed with a powdered chemical, such as copper carbonate to destroy and prevent fungous growth, such as smut, which prevents germination of the seed after it is planted, one object of the invention being to provide a simple and efficient mechanism which may be connected with a seed-cleaning machine to receive the cleaned seed therefrom and then apply the chemical thereto.

The invention 'provides an apparatuswhereby only cleaned seed is treated and the obnoxious dust which escapes from. machines heretofore employed is confined within the machine and the ill effect of the same upon operators is avoided. The invention also provides a machine which may be operated under low power and by the use of which the chemical is spread evenly on a thin stream of grain instead of being mixed with a large mass so that an economy in the use of t-he chemical is-eifected and the grain is treated. more evenly than has been the case with any previous machines known to me. These stated objects, and other objects which will appear incidentally in the course of the following description, are atta-ined in such an apparatus as is illustrated in the accompany'- ing drawing, and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved seed-treating apparatus showing the same arranged in connection With a seed cleaner in operative position; Y,

Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 1f is an enlarged detail section on the line L -4 of Fig. 2, and Y,

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. In Vthe drawing, the reference numeral 1 indicates a portion of a seed-cleaning machine, which may be of any approved construction, and 2 designates an elevating conveyer which receives the cleaned and treated seed from my machine and delivers it into a sack or other receptacle. The apparatus of my invention includes a housing so shaped as toprovide a hopper 3 at itsl upper end equipped with a cover 4 of such dimensions that it will fit tightly upon thetop of the hopper. On one side the hopper is provided with an offset 5 presenting an inclined shoul-v der whereby the frame or housing may fit close tov the end of the seed cleaner 1 under the spout 6 thereof through' which the waste matters are discharged onto the ground. The housing of the machine also includes an intermediate vertical. portion 7 in direct communication with the hopper 3 to receive the chemical therefrom and acrosstthe said intermediate portion extends a concave screen 8. This screen maybe of any approved form andis illustrated as a metallic. plate having openingsvQ therethrough. Immediately beiow the screen, a cut-off slide 10 is mounted in the outer wall of the housing to playthrough la slot formed therein, and this slide is concave in cross section, as shown clearly in 4, whereby it may fit close against the under side of the screen 8. By withdrawing the slide to a greater or less extent, more or less of the openings 9 in the screen will be uncovered and the quantity of the powder permitted to pass` through'the screen will thus be regulated. Above the screen and concentric therewith, a beater or stirrer shaft 11 is mounted in the walls of the hopper and is equipped at its outer end with a sprocket l2, around which is trained a chain 13 operatively connecting the shaft with a shaft of the seed-cleaning machine so that the power will be transmitted to the stirrer from the operating parts of the seed cleaner. The stirrer shaft 11 has secured thereto a plurality of radially disposed stirring arms 14 of a bail-like formation so that they are adapted to cutthrough the body of powder and break l up all lumps which tend toform therein and, by moving over the screen Ain juxtaposition i thereto, will force the powder through the uncovered openings of the screen in a stream commensurate with the work to be done.

Below the screen 8 and the cut-oif 10, a chute or apron 15 is secured to the rear wall of the housing, and this apron kor chute eX- tends away vfrom said wall within the housing. and outwardly,`as Vshown clearly in 2, so that the chemical vdropping through the screenwill kbe directed into the oiiisct lower chamber 16 of, the housing. Behind the apron or chute 15', an opening 17 is provided in the wall of the housing and thehousing is fitted to the seed cleaner in suchV position that this opening 17 will register with the discharge opening of the cleaner for the cleaned seed, the cleaned seed, consequently,

passing through the opening 17 in a thin stream and .being received upon the inclined bottom 18 of the intermediate portion ofthe housing whereby it will pass under the apron lor chute 15 and travel over the said inclined `chamber 16, assliown clearly in F ig. .1, is

offset or =disposed laterally with. respect to the intermediate portion of the-housing and lhas an inclin'ed bottom 2O whereby the cleaned and treated seed will be directed into the lower portion of the elevatingconveyer to be takenfup byfthelatterand carriedto the receptacle provided for storing the seed. Extendingacross the lowerend iportion of theemixing rchamber sis a mixer shaftA 21 havingpaddles,` 22of any approved form jthereon within,,theimixin, chamber and equipped at itsy rear ,end .witlra sprocket 23 operatively connectedwith the driving sprocket of theelevating cenveyer so that the mixer is driven from the elevator 4and,.if the elevator should stop for any reason, the mixer will Vstop and, consequently, clogging of the elevator will be prevented. .Supportedby thebotom .2O and the'outerside wallv of the mixing chamberis anapron or chute 2,4 which passes under, the mixer and, has its'free end disposed within. the dischargeopening ofthe mixing chamber so thatthe seed will be directed into the conveyer. This apron or chute 2l also serves to retainexcessive chemical which 'may be subsequently collected and returned to the hopper 3, a. retaininglip or flange 24 beiiigprovided at its free end edge. The opposite end portion ofthe apron or chute 24 yis upturned so as to rest against the outer wall of the .mixing chainberand is provided with `a seriesof openings 25 through any one Y of which a set bolt 26 may be inserted, the said set bolt passing through the wall of the mixing chamber .fand being equipped with a Wingnut 27 wheieby 1t may be secured in place.v ,Obviously by properly setting the n member 24, the size of the stream of seed and chemical passingthrough the mixing chainber-maybe `regulated andthe How retarded suliciently to permit thorough'commingling of the seed and the-chemical through the ac-` tion 4of the mixer rotating above the apron 2li. It will be noted that, the seed andchemical flow by gravity over the respective chutes 19 and l15the drop of the chemical fromchute. 15 beingmore nearly vertical than the drop of the seed from. the chute .19 andoccurring somewhat prior to the escape of seed4v from the latter chute, the result being that the seed across the path o f the chemical. The cut-off 10 is adjusted to obtain the proper propor l tional relation between the seed and the cheminay lbe said to travel for .afshort distance fectedi bythe action of the mixer shaft and` blades. Some. of the chemical may drop from vthe' seed and this chemical is caught by? the apron Manel is prevented from escapingV therefrom by the retaining lip 24.

It is thought the operation of my appara# tus will be readily understood from the foreis placed in thehopper and, of course, 'tio-Ws to the screen 8. VJ hen the seed cleaner is setv 1going description, taken in connection with' the, accompanying drawing.` The chemical in motion, the stirrer and feeder will be rotated over the screen 8 sothat the chemical of the mixer and are acted upon by the mixer f so as to be agitated and veffect a 'thoroughV covering of all the seed with the chemical,Y

the treated seed being kicked by the mixer .over theend Aof the chute 24 into the elevating conveyer.

By my apparatus, the cleaning and treat- I ing of the seed is accomplished in one lopera- 1 tion and an economy is thereby effected-over the methods previously employed which treated the seed in a separate distinct operation independent of the cleaning operation. By the use of my attachment, only the cleanedk wheat is treated and the foreign grains taken `from the wheat by the cleaning machine are not touched by the chemical so that they may be used for feed or any other desired purpose. i All the joints in my apparatus are made dustproof by soldering or otherwis'eso that the treated grain is at all times within dust-tight enclosures from the timeV itis received in the housing until it. is delivered to the bin or sack and it is not necessary for the operators to `wear masks as is the universal custom when operating other machines. By properly Setting the chute 24 and the cut-olf 10, both the stirrer and the mixer can be adjusted for the is treated as tast as it is passed through the cleaner. l

Having thus described the invention, l. claim:

l. An apparatus Jfor the purpose set forth comprising a hopper, a mixing chamber vertically below the hopper and in communication therewith and provided with a lateral inlet opening through which to receive seed to be treated, a screen between the hopper and Said inlet opening, a stirrer cooperating with said screen, and a delecting chute below the screen and in front ot and extending` over said inlet opening to direct the chemical from the screen onto the seed flowing through said opening below the chute.

2. An apparatus for the purpose set t'orth comprising a vertically disposed housing detining a hopper at its upper end and a mixing chamber' at its lower end and having an inlet opening in one side below the hopper to admit seed to be treated, means above said opening to control Aflow ot' chemical from the hopper, a mixing device in the lower portion of the mixing chamber, the mixing chamber having an outlet in one side in proximity to the mixing device and means in iront of the inlet opening whereby chemical will be directed onto the iniiowing seed in a thin stream.

3. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a vertically disposed housing detining a hopper at its upper end, and a mixing chamber at its lower end and having an inlet opening for seed to be treated in one wall above the mixing chamber, a mixer in the lower end of the mixing chamber, a chute leading from the inlet opening intothe mixing chamber to deliver seed over the mixer, and a chut-e secured in the housing above and extending over the'inlet opening and terminating over the first-mentioned chute whereby to direct chemical onto the inilowing seed.

4. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a vertically extending housing defining a hopper in its upper end and a mixing chamber in its lower end, a screen at an intermediate point in the height of the housing, a slidable cut-ott" mounted in the housing to cooperate with said screen and control flow therefrom, a ystirrer rotatably mounted in the housing over the screen to cooperate therewith, a seed inlet in one wall ot the housing below the screen, means below the opening' for seed,'a rotatable mixer within the mixing chamber, vertically adjustable chute supported on the bottom and one wall of the mixing chamber and passing under the rotatable mixer to the outlet opening, means above the seed inlet opening for feeding chemical to the intlowing seed, and a deflect-or in iront oi said opening to direct the chemical toward the mixing chamber.

6. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a vertically extending housing defining a hopper for chemical in its upper portion and a mixing chamber in its lower portion, and having a seed inlet opening in one wall between the hopper and the mixing chamber, and means above said opening whereby gravitating chemical will be directed onto inflowing seed substantially in the direction of tlow of the seed.

7. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a vertically extending housing having its upper end 'forming a hopper and its lower end forming a mixing chamber, the intermediate portion of the housing being oii`- set relative to the hopper and fthe mixing chamber, a transversely curved screen in the oti'set portion of the housing, an agitator working over said screen, a cut-oit under the screen, the intermediate portion of the housing having a seed inlet opening in one wall below the screen, a chemical directing chute secured to said-wall above the inlet opening and extending downwardly away 'from said wall over the inlet opening, a chute extending inwardly and downwardly from the lower side of the inlet opening and projecting over the mixing chamber beyond the lower end ot' the iixed-mentioned chute, and a rotary mixer in the mixing chamber under the end of the chute, the mixing chamber having an outlet in one wall in proximity to said mixer.

In. testimony whereof l atlix my signature.

BENJAMIN r. eusriirson. [L s] 

